Consumed with a passion for youth

Stella Agara, 28, was among the minds that pushed for the establishment of the Sh1billion Youth Enterprise Fund. She narrates to NJOKI CHEGE her journey

The year is 1999. A fearless 17-year-old girl from Buruburu High School races up to the podium during the UN convention on the rights of the child held in Egypt. She stands before hundreds of delegates and representatives from various countries to present a children’s report she prepared, on behalf of Kenya.

In her speech, she reveals the numerous injustices on the African child. She concludes by challenging various African governments to promote youth and children councils.

Fast forward to 2010. The young girl is all grown up, wiser, and bolder. Meet Stella Agara, 28, who is passionate about youth.

She got into children and youth affairs immediately after completing her O’levels, and she has never looked back since then.

“Growing up in Kibera, I endured a lot and watched helplessly as many youth ended up disillusioned. Most of the brilliant youths lost their vision in life shortly after hitting puberty. They succumbed to drug abuse and crime, and that was a wake up call for me,” she explains.

And it did not come as a surprise when Stella decided to forego college and channel her energy to advocate for the rights of children and youth.

At 18, she was appointed the chairlady of the Child Rights Defenders Movement, an organisation that champions for children’s rights. She was later to be spotted by the global Youth Employment Summit and appointed to the organisation’ s steering council.

Along with other youth right’s activists, in 2006, Stella convinced the then Minister for the newly formed Ministry of Youth affairs and Sports to allow Kenya to host the Youth Employment Summit.

Much to their joy, the Government agreed and the summit was held from September 13 to 16. It was in the same event that the Ministry of Youth Affairs launched their 2007-2011 strategic plan. But that was not the only accomplishment for her during that particular period, as she explains.

“On the last day of the summit, we had a meeting with Equity Bank’s CEO James Mwangi. He pledged Sh1 billion to support the Youth Enterprise Fund that would see youth borrow loans to start small businesses to enrich their lives,” says a beaming Stella.

“The Youth Development Fund was an initiative I tirelessly worked for, it was a great feeling to finally have the youth catered for,” she explains.

Shortly after that, President Kibaki also pledged Sh1 billion to support the Fund.

Stella’s batteries did not run out after that, in fact, it was just the beginning. She worked for the African Youth Parliament, under the tutelage and mentorship of one Patrick Mpedzisi — a man she says has mentored her into youth advocacy.

“After meeting Patrick, I realised that the youth problem was at policy level. We simply did not have enough legal framework to ensure the lives of youth are enriched,”she explains.

Plan of action

It was here that she developed plans of action for children and youth, encouraging them to be agents of change.

Stella recalls travelling to Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa among other countries to encourage children to stay in school.

During the Bomas Constitutional Conference, she was appointed by the Kenya Alliance for Advocacy of Children to represent the rights of the children in the constitution making process.

Stella goes further to explain that drug abuse and crime are not the real problems with youth; they are simply ‘symptoms of a bigger, underlying problem’.

She says the big issue is that there is no legal framework to ensure the rights of youth are well established in Kenya.

“But thanks to the new constitution, youth have a place in the decision making process in the country,” she says.

Plan of action

After a brief stint in the Africa Youth Parliament, she joined the Africa Youth Trust (AYT), a non-governmental organisation started in 2007 to harness the productive energy of the youth.

The organisation uses the youth-led development model in Kenya to enrich the lives of youth.

In her capacity as a monitoring and evaluation expert, she is tasked with collecting data to verify to donors and stakeholders to invest in youth led development programmes in the society.

Some of the programmes she has spearheaded while in AYT include: East Africa Youth and Human rights and democracy programme that empower youth through capacity-building and increased access to human development opportunities.

This go-getter believes there is still more she can do to advocate for the rights of youth and she says she is eyeing one of the top jobs provided for in the new constitution.

“I want to be in the senate. There are several positions set aside for women, and I want to clinch one of them. I want to speak as a youth and a woman,” she offers.

And she has begun positioning herself as she was in the team that saw the successful passing of the Kenya National Youth Council Bill into an Act.

Socially, she is involved with a man she has been dating for the past six years.

They hope to settle down in two years. In her free time, Stella loves to hit the dance floor with her girlfriends.